macrumors 68020

On the contrary, a newer router will probably come with a faster, more powerful processor and more memory. It will likely have better quality of service management software and with Apple, one would hope better cooling capacity. (They HAVE been getting better).

It might not be a difference at all for 1 person and a couple of devices, but a whole family's household of devices and dealing with a neighborhood with a lot of competing wifi networks? Yea, more powerful controllers help!

I wonder if newer ones have better abilities at dealing with noisy signals...

Oh yea, and there's ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT in the storage controller department; accessing a hard drive connected to an AirEx isn't all that fast, even over wired connections, and a better CPU allows for a faster (or ooo.. dedicated) controller!

macrumors regular

On the contrary, a newer router will probably come with a faster, more powerful processor and more memory. It will likely have better quality of service management software and with Apple, one would hope better cooling capacity. (They HAVE been getting better).

Click to expand...

That's a fair point and I agree but I was addressing the specific 802.11ac bit mentioned in the OP. All of the above can happen without implementing a new wireless standard.

Quote

It might not be a difference at all for 1 person and a couple of devices, but a whole family's household of devices and dealing with a neighborhood with a lot of competing wifi networks? Yea, more powerful controllers help!

I wonder if newer ones have better abilities at dealing with noisy signals...

Click to expand...

True, and its not just neighbors WiFi that is the issue, cordless phones and other gadgets can all add noise. Anything to find a quieter band to help improve coverage and stability is welcome.

Again these thing can be achieved through better software and hardware without implementing a new wireless standard. For example, there is significant difference between wireless performance of the 4th and 5th generation Airport Extremes.

Quote

Oh yea, and there's ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT in the storage controller department; accessing a hard drive connected to an AirEx isn't all that fast, even over wired connections, and a better CPU allows for a faster (or ooo.. dedicated) controller!

MacRumors attracts a broad audience
of both consumers and professionals interested in
the latest technologies and products. We also boast an active community focused on
purchasing decisions and technical aspects of the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Mac platforms.